Scarborough Sedation Dentist: Enjoy Relaxing Dental Visits

It is common perception that all dental procedures are painful and so dentists must be evil. Many of you probably fear going to the dentist because of the pain you may have to endure during a procedure.

However, thanks to the invention of sedation dentistry, dentists are finally able to take the stress and anxiety out of your dental care. Now, sedation dentistry can be used for all kinds of dental procedures – be it complex or something as simple as routine cleaning. If you’re ready to finally not dread your dental appointments, please contact us today and ask about sedation dentistry.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Different kinds of dental procedures require different types of sedation. Mainly, there are four sedation techniques used in sedation dentistry. First, there is inhaled-gas sedation.

With this, a patient is made to inhale nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, along with oxygen through a mask placed over the nose. The gas helps the patient relax and feel calm. Once the mask has been removed, the effects of the gas disappear quickly, allowing a patient to go on with their day normally.

Oral Sedation

If a procedure is minimally invasive and you request to be sedated, then your dentist will have you take a pill known as Halcion, which is a member of the Valium family. This will make you feel quite drowsy while still remaining conscious. The pill is supposed to be consumed one-hour prior to the dental procedure. If a treatment is more involved, your dentist may up the dosage of this form of anesthesia. Patients likely to experience grogginess and may even fall asleep. However, they can be awakened by a gentle shake once the procedure is finished.

Intravenous Sedation

Some patients are uncomfortable swallowing pills and prefer to have an injection In this case, a sedative is injected into a vein that quickly makes a patient feel very relaxed. One advantage of this sedation method is that the dentist is able to easily regulate the level of sedation while carrying out the dental procedure.

Anesthesia and Deep Sedation

In cases where the dental procedure to be carried out is invasive, patients are put to sleep by giving them a dosage of general anesthesia. This typically renders a patient almost or completely unconscious. With this kind of sedation, a patient cannot be awakened until the effects of the general anesthesia have worn off.